Jose Mourinho could be tempted to bring some of his former players to Liverpool if he makes a surprise move to Anfield next season. The Reds are widely expected to appoint Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, who has a verbal agreement to replace Jurgen Klopp, but Robbie Fowler is not entirely convinced that he will be the right fit......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Fowler believes his former club would benefit from appointing an experienced manager like Mourinho instead, saying: “I could understand why you would get someone like Mourinho. A case in point would be Real Madrid, for example.
“When Zinedine Zidane left for the second time in 2021, they didn’t go looking for a young and up-coming manager, they went for an experienced manager in Carlo Ancelotti. That experience and that know-how can definitely help a club in transition.”
Express Sport takes a look at four players Mourinho could look to reunite with if Liverpool decide to take Fowler’s advice…
Fikayo Tomori
Liverpool have been widely tipped to sign at least one new central defender when the bidding opens in June. AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori could be a shrewd signing for the Reds, especially if Mourinho joins having progressed through Chelsea’s academy when the Portuguese boss was in charge.
Tomori would be unlikely to start over Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate but would offer some extra strength in depth for Liverpool at the back. A move to Anfield could also put him in a better position to make future England squads if he impresses in the Premier League.
Evan Ndicka
Roma defender Evan Ndicka could be another potential signing for Liverpool if Mourinho makes a surprise move to Anfield. He was linked with the Merseyside giants on a free transfer last summer, but ended up joining Roma and featured heavily under Mourinho in the first half of this season.
Ndicka still has plenty of room for improvement at 24 years of age and could ease the burden on Jarell Quansah by serving as another capable back-up at Liverpool. He recently collapsed during a match against Udinese but Roma have cleared him to play football again, with cardiological tests producing no adverse findings.
Nicolo Zaniolo
Nicolo Zaniolo is a player Liverpool have been regularly linked with over the years without ever being close to snapping him up. He joined Aston Villa on loan from Galatasaray last summer but has struggled for game time and is expected to return to Turkey at the end of the season.
There is still plenty of time for Zaniolo to realise his full potential and Liverpool might just be the perfect environment for him to do so if Mourinho joins. Galatasaray are open to selling him for just £17million, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, making him a low-risk option for the Reds when they go about replacing Thiago Alcantara in the summer.
Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham excelled at Roma under Mourinho before picking up a serious knee injury at the end of last season. He made his return to action last month, bagging his first goal of the campaign against Napoli in Roma’s most recent league outing.
Liverpool are not exactly short of attacking options, with the likes of Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz all vying for minutes at the top of the pitch. However, there are still doubts over Mohamed Salah’s long-term future and Abraham could potentially be a strong replacement if the Egyptian maestro leaves in the summer.